Graduate Program

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program serves the needs of mature students, helping them to advance in their careers. The program is designed to graduate scholar practitioners who will set the standard for best practices and contribute to the solution of critical business and management problems through research, teaching, and consulting. The program is designed to serve the needs of both fully employed and full-time students with a background as experienced business professionals who want to translate their industry expertise into leadership positions as consultants or as executives within their organizations. The program creates an opportunity for the student to demonstrate application of the knowledge and skills gained in the course work portion of the program and to demonstrate the critical thinking and analytical skills required to successfully complete the Doctoral Project.

Program Learning Objectives
Admissions
Requirements
Career

Program Learning Objectives (PLO)

Primary objectives of this program include equipping students with the knowledge and ability to:

  1. Employ advanced written communication skills to share complex information, organizational vision, and actionable guidelines to various audiences. (ILO1)
  2. Deliver advanced oral presentations that use effective content, organization, and delivery, accompanied by appropriate technology. (ILO2)
  3. Demonstrate the skills, competence, and critical thinking required to design, execute, and evaluate creative and meaningful research in a field of specialization. (ILO3)
  4. Generate, evaluate, and assess the Christian ethical obligations and responsibilities of business for the purpose of responsible management. (ILO5)
  5. Demonstrate effective information literacy skills including formulation of research problems; integration of previous publications into an appropriate literature review; design of a research study; data analysis; ability to summarize and present the results. (ILO6)

Mode of Instruction

Instruction can be completed through classroom-hybrid and/or online instructional methodologies.

Admission Requirements

Education: IAU requires evidence of an earned bachelor and master degree. At least one degree must be in a related major or discipline. Other disciplines may be acceptable and shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and they may require prerequisite courses. All degrees must be earned at an appropriately accredited institution or foreign equivalent. IAU understands the differing rigor of schools and grading scales around the world, and IAU evaluates prior academic credentials within their own context. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

Professional Experience: IAU recommends a minimum of 5 years of full-time professional experience.

Information Technology: Possess computer and internet skills sufficient to effectively participate in IAU’s pedagogical model and conduct research at the graduate level.

Curriculum Vitae (CV). A CV demonstrating experience and qualifications including a thorough review of an applicant’s educational background, employment history and highlighting main accomplishments at each position.

Letter of Interest. The Letter of Interest will contain three parts: Personal Statement, Professional Statement, and Research Statement. Each part will be described below.

  1. Personal Statement. Please express in no more than one page how the applicant’s experience, education, and training qualifies them for admission into the DBA program.
  2. Professional Statement. Please describe in no more than two pages the applicant’s interest in the DBA program and their plan to complete it.
    • Why pursue a DBA degree?
    • What significant qualities or experiences will be brought to the DBA program?
    • What are the applicant’s career aspirations after graduation with a doctorate degree?
    • What obstacles/challenges does the applicant anticipate having to overcome to complete the degree within a reasonable time frame (i.e., 4 years), and what is their plan to address these obstacles/challenges?
    • What concrete steps will be taken to manage the applicant’s time and balance coursework with a minimum of 18 hours of study each week
  3. Research Statement. Please describe in no more than three pages the applicant’s research interests and topics to be pursued.

Letter of Recommendation. Two letters of recommendation should be requested from professionals in academia or industry who can comment on the applicant’s:

  • Personal and professional accomplishments and how they achieved them.
  • Academic pursuits.
  • Demonstrated leadership and potential for doing advanced academic work.
  • Oral and written communication skills.
  • Potential as an instructor.

Maximum Total Credit Awarded:

  • Transfer Credit (TRC): 30 credits
  • Standardized Exam Credit (SEC): 0 credits
  • Prior Experiential Learning Credit (PEL): 9 semester credits

Completion Time

 

Curriculum

 

D.B.A. Program Requirements Sem. Hrs.
Foundation Component
3 Courses
9 Semester Hours
(Non-MBA holders must take the following or transfer in equivalents)		 ECN 500 Managerial Economics 3
FIN 500 Financial Management 3
MKT 500 Marketing Management 3
Core Component
4 Courses
12 Semester Hours		 BUS 860 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility 3
ECN 800 Economic Theory and Policy 3
MGT 800 Leadership in Organizations 3
MGT 860 Managerial Decision Making 3
Internship Component
2 Semester Hours		 The Internship Component requirement can be fulfilled by completing an internship, internship reflection course, or by seeking Prior Experiential Learning credit (PEL). 2
Elective Component
13 Semester Hours		 The Electives Component requirement can be fulfilled by receiving credit for any graduate courses (500+) that are not a requirement. 13
Research Component
3 Courses
9 Semester Hours		 RSC 900 Doctoral Research Methods 3
RSC 810 Literature Review 3
Choose 1 (other can be elective)  
RSC 905 Quantitative Analysis 3
RSC 910 Qualitative Analysis 3
Comprehensive Examination Component
2 Courses
9 Semester Hours		 DOC 901 Comprehensive Examination 4.5
DOC 902 Comprehensive Examination 4.5
Project Component
4 Courses
15 Semester Hours		 DOC 910 Prospectus 4.5
DOC 911 Proposal 4.5
DOC 912 Project 4.5
DOC 913 Project Defense 1.5
TOTAL D.B.A.   60

*69 units with prerequisites. For the course descriptions, click here.

Graduation Requirements

  1. Complete 60 semester units of prescribed curriculum.
  2. Complete a minimum of TWO internships.
  3. Complete Comprehensive Examinations and Doctoral Project.
  4. Complete all required coursework with a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
  5. Apply for graduation and meet all academic and financial requirements.
  6. F-1 students must maintain lawful status.

Major 1: CIP Code 52.0201

Related Jobs: Business Administration and Management, General

Job Outlook and Salary:  Business

Apply